Muliticlassing and Class Abilities

[Turbit]

I've been thinking of running a Ranger 5/ Druid 1 in an up coming game but I'm not a hundred percent sure about what happens with the class features the two classes share. Its not completely clear in the PHB or the SRD.

First, do I get two animal companions or do my levels stack like a wizard/sorcerer does?

Second, do I get to add both my druid and ranger levels for wild empathy?

[Zincorium]

Read the animal companions sidebar in the PHB, it says that yes, all classes which give the animal companion feat stack for the purposes of abilities. I don't know if ranger would still count as only one half, but it makes sense either way.

As for wild empathy, they're untyped bonuses, but they're from the same source (wild empathy class feature) so I doubt it. I do not find anywhere saying they stack.

[Zherog]

Read the animal companions sidebar in the PHB, it says that yes, all classes which give the animal companion feat stack for the purposes of abilities. I don't know if ranger would still count as only one half, but it makes sense either way.

Yes, the ranger levels would still count for half. Nothing in the sidebar says otherwise.


As for wild empathy, they're untyped bonuses, but they're from the same source (wild empathy class feature) so I doubt it. I do not find anywhere saying they stack.

As a DM, I'd allow them to stack; however, purely by the rules, I don't think it would stack because it doesn't say so explicitly.

[woc33]

in either case, you have an effective druid level, use it to calculate wild empathy and animal companion, for example, a druid 4 / ranger 4 has an effective druid level of 6, 4 from it's druid levels and 2 from it's ranger levels.

[Zherog]

If you use the effective druid level for wild empathy, though, the character gets "cheated" out of part of what they've earned.

For example, a 5th level ranger with a Charisma of 10 has a wild empathy score of +5. Once that same ranger takes a level of druid, though, his wild empathy score will drop to 3.

[tsuyoshikentsu]

As a DM, I'd allow them to stack; however, purely by the rules, I don't think it would stack because it doesn't say so explicitly.

Untyped bonuses from different sources always stack.

[Zherog]

Untyped bonuses from different sources always stack.

Indeed, untyped bonuses from different sources most definitely stack.

And that means you're stuck trying to determine what "different sources" means. I opt to take it to mean that when two classes have a class feature with the exact same name, and the exact same mechanics, then it's the same source.

In my opinion, it's no different than two different wizards casting a hypothetical spell that granted an unnamed bonus on the same target. It's from the same source, so it doesn't stack.

[Jasdoif]

As written, the two wild empathy abilities can't stack. They don't provide bonuses, they're separate, usable activities that take time. Since wild empathy works like diplomacy, that time is a series of consecutive full-round actions. You can't use both at the same time, unless you have some way to make multiple full-round actions in a single round.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

I... do my levels stack like a wizard/sorcerer does?


I am a little surprised that no one told Turbit that Wizard and Sorcerer levels do not stack.

[Dhavaer]

I am a little surprised that no one told Turbit that Wizard and Sorcerer levels do not stack.

I think he was referring to the familiar, which IIRC does stack.

[Amiria]

I am a little surprised that no one told Turbit that Wizard and Sorcerer levels do not stack.

Hey, don't look at us like that. You are responsible for such questions. :smallwink:

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

I think he was referring to the familiar, which IIRC does stack.

I included a comment on that in my edit that no one will ever get to see, because this computer likes to crash at the worst time.
My edit on Wild Empathy will be added shortly though...


Hey, don't look at us like that. You are responsible for such questions. :smallwink:

Touché.

In regard to Wild Empathy:

Wild Empathy is the same class feature, but the mechanics for the classes that have them are not identical.
For class A you can add your level in class A to the check result.
For class B you can add your level in class B to the check result.

If you have levels in more than one class with this ability you can now add levels for class A + B etc.

You are not making a choice between Druid's Wild Empathy and Ranger's Wild Empathy, you are just using Wild Empathy.
One class allows you to add Ranger levels and another Druid levels, so your result becomes 1d20 + Ranger levels + Druid levels + Charisma modifier.


Wild Empathy (Ex): ... The druid rolls 1d20 and adds her druid level and her Charisma modifier to determine the wild empathy check result.


Wild Empathy (Ex): ... The ranger rolls 1d20 and adds her ranger level and her Charisma modifier to determine the wild empathy check result.

(This was worded a lot better before the Crash of DoomTM)